Stamp-vending machine.



No. 688,453. Patented Doc. ID, I90l.

J.. B. FENDER. STAMP VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed In. 8, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Shoat I.

(No Model.)

m w MIN No. 688,459; Patented' Dec. lofl'sol. J. B. FENDER.

STAMP VENDING MACHINE.

(Application. filed Eu. 8, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoat 2.

7 TH: Noam FEI'ERS 00.. PHOTO-LIINO..WASNINGYON. 0.1:.

of the stamp-clamp.

i UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BROWN FENDER, OF BRECKENRIDGE, TEXAS.

STAMP-VENDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 688,459, datedDecember 10, 190-1. Application filed Mar oh 8, 1901. .Se'rial No.50,380. (No model.)

State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Stamp -Vending Machine,of which the folv lowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in "stamp vending-machines.

The object of the present invention is'to improve the construction ofcoin-operated vending-machines and to provide a simple and comparativelyinexpensive one designed for selling postage-stamps and capable 'ofoperation only by a coin of the proper denomination and adapted whenproperly operated to feed a stamp to the operator.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated pointedout in the claims hereto appended.

I In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of astamp-vending machine constructed in accordance with this invention.Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a vertical sectional view of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig.

2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of mountingthe clamp 'for engaging the stamps. Fig. 5 is adetail view Like numeralsof reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 designates a stamp-receiving roll journaled in suitable bearings of aframe2 and designed to be mounted in a casing containing a series ofstamp-vending machines, so that stamps of different denominations may besold; but as the stamp-machines for the sale of stamps of differentdenominations will be constructed exactly the same a description andillustration-of one machine only will be'necessary. The stamp-rollerisdesigned to receive a roll of stamps arranged in the "form of a strip orribbon and designed in :practice to 'be reeled on the roll 1 with theoiled paper with which the stamps are usually shipped. The shaft 4: ofthe roll 1 is squared at one end for the reception of .a crank forenablingthe roll to be readily ro-.

edges of the coin.

tated for winding up the strip or ribbon 3. The strip or ribbon ofstamps pass upward between a pair 'of feed-rolls 5 and 6, which feed thestamps upward through a supply chute 7 t0 the exterior of the machine.

feedroller 5, which is preferably covered withoiled paper, is mounted ona shaft 8, arranged in bearing-slots 9 of brackets 10 and engaged bysprings 11, which force the feedroll 5 toward the feed-roll 6 to securethe necessary frictional engagement. The springs, which aresubstantially U-shaped,are secured to the frame 2, and their inner sidesare free to force the feed-roll toward the front of the machine. Theother feed-roll 6 is mounted on a shaft which carries a combined cam andratchet wheel 12 and which also carriesa coinreceiving wheel 13. Thecoin-receiving wheel or drum 13 consists of apair of disks or heads andradial plates or supports 14, adapted to be brought successively beneatha coin-chute in a. suitable slot, and it is preferably constructedrof astrip of metal having its longitudinal edges folded or bent inward toform grooves or ways 17 for the reception of the The space between theside flanges of the coin-chute will permit a coin smaller than one ofthe proper denomination .to fall through, so that such a coin will noteffect an operation of the machine,

andas a coin larger than the coin-chute cannot be introduced in the sameit will be apparent that the machine can be operated only by a coin ofthe proper denomination. The coin-chute is provided at its lower endwith a depending guard 18, arranged at the periphery of thecoin-receiving drum or wheel and adapted to retain a coin on the radialThe I coin supports or plates until the drum has been rotated asufticient distance to operate ICO gaging a pin 22 of the push bar orrod. When a coin has been deposited in the chute 15 and has assumed theposition illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the accompanyingdrawings, it will lie directly beneath the lower end of the push rod orbar and partially cover one of the slots 23 of the coin-receiving drumor wheel, whereby when the push rod or bar is depressed the said drum orwheel will be partially rotated and will actuate the mechanism forfeeding the stamps. WVhen a coin is not in the drum or wheel, the pushrod or bar will when moved downward pass through the slot of theadjacent radial plate or support and will not actuate the wheel or drum.The slots 23 extend inward from the outer ends of the radial supports ofthe coin-receiving drum or wheel, and when the push rod or bar isdepressed and engages a coin it will carry the latter downward to apoint beyond the lower end of the guard 18, so that the said coin willbe released and caused to fall into a suitable receptacle 24.

The coin-receiving drum or wheel is fixed to the shaft of the feed-roll6 at one end of the latter, and the said feed-roll is partially rotatedwhen the machine is operated, and the stamps will be fed upward throughthe delivery-chute. The combined ratchet and cam wheel 12 consists of adisk provided at its periphery with a series of inwardly-taperedrecesses 25, forming shoulders to be engaged by a locking-lever 26, andproviding a series of cams 27, adapted to engage the said lever 26,whereby the latter is oscillated to release a stamp-clamp 28. The lever26,which is fulcrumed between its ends at 29, is provided at its lowerend with an inwardly-extending tube 30, which engages the combinedratchet and cam wheel 12 and which normally projects into one of therecesses thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanyingdrawings. Whe'h the feed-roll 6 and the wheel 12 are partially rotated,the cam lying above the engaging lower end of the locking-lever engagesthe inwardly-extending tube 30 and swings the lower arm of the leveroutward or forward and carries the upper arm of the lever backward orinward. The inward or backward movement of the upper arm of the leverreciprocates a connecting-rod 31, which extends rearward to a transverselever 32, fulcrumed at one end and con-' nected at an intermediate pointwith a stem 33 of the stamp-clamp 28. The stamp-clamp 28, which isarranged at an opening 34 of the rear wall of the delivery-chute, isprovided with alongitudinal groove forming engaging upper and loweredges which are adapted to efiectually prevent a stamp from being drawnout of the deliverychute surreptitiously. The stem 33 of the stamp-clampis arranged in a suitable guide 35, and the transverse lever 32, whichis disposed horizontally, is fulcrumed on a suitable support 36. Thelocking-lever, which is arranged in an upright position, is maintainedin engagement with the combined ratchet and cam wheel by a substantiallyU -shaped spring 37, which has one of its ends connected with the rod 31adjacent to the upper end of the lever 26; but any other suitable formof spring may be employed for this purpose. When the coin-receiving drumor wheel is partially rotated by the depressible push rod or bar, thefront feed-roll is positively rotated sufficiently to feed the stamp outof the delivery-chute, and the stamp-clamp is automatically released bythe cam and ratchet wheel. The upright lever performs the doublefunction of locking the combined cam and ratchet wheel againstretrograde rotation and of actuating the stampclamp.

It will be seen that the stamp-vending machine is exceedingly simple andinexpensive in construction, that it is capable of being operated onlyby acoin of the proper denomination, and that the feeding devices andthe stamp-clamp are simultaneously operated by the depression of thepush bar or rod.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the class described, the combinationof an upright deliverychute provided adjacent to its outer end with anopening, a stamp-clamp operating through the opening and arranged toengage the stamps, feed rolls located beneath the chute and adapted tofeed the stamps upward, the combined cam and ratchet wheel connectedwith one of the feed-rolls having notches forming cams and providingshoulders, and a lever connected with the stamp-clamp and engaging thecombined cam and ratchet wheel and locking the feed-rolls againstbackward movement, said lever being also arranged to be actuated by thecams, whereby the stampclamp will be moved away from the stamps whenthe, feed-rolls are operated, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an uprightdelivery-chute, a stamp-receiving roll located beneath thedelivery-chute, feed-rolls arranged at a point between the stamp rolland the deliverychute, one of the feed-rolls being spring-actuated, astamp-clamp located near the outer end of the delivery-chute andarranged to engage the stamps, a lever connected with the stamp clamp,and the combined cam and ratchet wheel engaged by the lever, whereby thefeed-rolls are locked against back-ward movement, said wheel being alsoarranged to engage and actuate the lever to withdraw the clamp when thefeed-rolls are operated, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an uprightdelivery-chute, a reciprocating stamp-clamp, feed-rolls'located beneaththe chute, the combined cam and ratchet wheel having notches formingcams and providing shoulders, a transverse lever connected with thestamp-clamp, an upright lever engaging the said wheel to lock the rollsagainst backward movement and adapted to be actuated by the cams whenthe feed-rolls are operated, a rod connecting the lovers, and a springholding the upright lever in engageess,45

ment with'the said wheel and maintaining the clamp normally inengagement with the stamps, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a deliverychute, feeding mechanism, a sliding clamp located near the month of thedelivery-chute, a lever connected with the sliding clamp and arrangedhorizontally, a cam-wheel connected with the feeding mechanism, anupright lever engaging the cam-wheel and arranged to be oscillated bythe same, and connections between the levers, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame,provided with a guide, an upright deliveiy chute provided at one sidewith an opening, a sliding stamp-clamp located at the said opening andprovided with a stem arranged in the guide, a transverse lever connectedbetween its ends with the stem and fulcrumed at one end, an uprightlever connected with the transverse lever, feeding mechanism, and acam-wheel connected with the feeding mechanism and engaging the uprightlever,- substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, adelivery chute, feed-rolls, a combined cam and ratchet wheel connectedwith the feed roll and provided with notches, a lever engaging thecombined cam and ratchet wheel, and locking the feedrolls againstbackward movement and adapted to be thrown outward by the said wheel, astamp-clamp located adjacent to the deliverychute and connected with thesaid lever, and means for operating the feed-rolls, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixedmy signature in 40 the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN BROWN FENDER.

Witnesses: I

J. B. Loans, E. W. ALLEN.

